


so tell me darling, do you wish we'd fall in love?

by onward



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Fluff, Free! Secret Santa 2014, M/M, freess2k14, i just kinda assume everything i write is automatically fluff, i think, mermaid haru
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-26
Updated: 2014-12-26
Packaged: 2018-03-03 15:10:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2855294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onward/pseuds/onward
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At first glance, Makoto thought the boy was… Strange, to say the least.<br/>He was bending down in front of one of the shop windows, leaning in to see the figurines, the miniatures that spun around and around on the tiny ferris wheel. His nose was barely brushing the glass pane. The boy was wearing a shirt that looked like he’d found it washed up on the beach, wrinkled and covered in sand. His shorts weren’t any better, honestly; they were actual swim trunks, bright pink Hawaiian flower print and everything. He wasn’t even wearing any shoes. <br/>But strands of his hair swung down in front of his eyes as he leaned down to look through the store window, and even behind the curtain of hair Makoto could see wide, blue eyes the color of the ocean where it’s deepest. And the heat that blossomed onto Makoto’s face at the thought was enough to prove to himself that Makoto didn’t only think the boy was <i>strange</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	so tell me darling, do you wish we'd fall in love?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pheonickx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pheonickx/gifts).



> my [free! secret santa](http://freess2k14.tumblr.com/) gift to [spadenoace](http://spadenoace.tumblr.com)! merry christmas, nickx!
> 
> "1000 words is a good length," they said.  
> "oh yeah i can totally do that," i said.  
> "oh shit the intro is 1063," i said.  
> and that's the story of how this got this long im sor ry
> 
> also, title taken from [the saltwater room](https://soundcloud.com/owlcityofficial/the-saltwater-room) by owl city, which as it turns out fits this fic pretty well!
> 
> one more thing–please forgive any mistakes or inconsistencies; i don't have a beta and i tend to not catch them. if you notice any, please let me know!
> 
> i hope you like it!!

At first glance, Makoto thought the boy was… Strange, to say the least.

He was bending down in front of one of the shop windows, leaning in to see the figurines, the miniatures that spun around and around on the tiny ferris wheel. His nose was barely brushing the glass pane.  The boy was wearing a shirt that looked like he’d found it washed up on the beach, wrinkled and covered in sand. His shorts weren’t any better, honestly; they were actual swim trunks, bright pink Hawaiian flower print and everything. He wasn’t even wearing any shoes. 

But strands of his hair swung down in front of his eyes as he leaned down to look through the store window, and even behind the curtain of hair Makoto could see wide, blue eyes the color of the ocean where it’s deepest. And the heat that blossomed onto Makoto’s face at the thought was enough to prove to himself that Makoto didn’t only think the boy was _strange_.

“-ko-chan. Mako-chan. Mako-chaaaan!”

Mystery boy was replaced with Nagisa, who was tugging on Makoto’s school uniform’s sleeve, bouncing his arm up and down. 

“Jeez, you were out of it. What was Mako-chan thinking about?” Nagisa asked, genuine curiosity painted across his face.

Makoto’s eyes glanced above Nagisa’s hair, where he could still make out the back of mystery boy’s head. He flicked them back down as soon as he realized where he was looking, his face turning red when he noticed Nagisa had caught him and was now spinning around to track his gaze.

“Oooh, who’s that boy, Mako-chan?” he said, a giddy edge to his voice.

“Nobody,” Makoto answered before his next heartbeat, “I don’t know. Who?”

But Nagisa’s eyes were already gleaming when he turned back to Makoto.

“Mako-chan, you should go talk to him!”

“No I shouldn’t!” Makoto yelped, before throwing both hands to his face to cover his mouth. He glanced over at mystery boy to make sure he wasn’t looking. To Makoto’s relief, he was still staring at the moving figurines. “No I shouldn’t,” he repeated to Nagisa, barely above a whisper this time.

“I think he’s weird,” Kou piped up from his left. She was leaning against the vitrine of the girl’s fashion store, her bags gripped by the hand she held under her crossed arms. “He’s here every once in a while. Always wears those weird clothes.” She sniffed. “At least he’s got the physique to make up for it.” 

“I’m not talking to him,” Makoto said, turning back to Nagisa and trying to add some fervor to his voice. “Why would I talk to him? Nagisa, stop making that face at me!”

Nagisa sighed. “Mako-chan, what would you ever do without me?” he said, before shouting, “Hey, you, over there!” and spinning around to grab Kou and dragging her to start walking the other way, leaving Makoto to stand there with his mouth agape, staring at mystery boy who had just turned his head to look at him.

Makoto attempted a grin, but he was sure it came out as more of a pained grimace. He lifted his hand in an awkward half-wave. Mystery boy just turned back to the display. Makoto let out a breath he hadn’t known he had been holding.

He turned around to find Nagisa and Kou staring at him from a few shops down, both their heads tilted. Kou’s arms were still crossed, and Nagisa’s hands were on his hips.

He threw his hands up in despair, hoping to communicate to them that he had no idea what he was supposed to do. Kou pointed to him, then to mystery boy, then made little walking motions with two of her fingers. Nagisa nodded enthusiastically alongside her. 

Makoto sighed, spinning around as if to actually do what they said. Then he saw mystery boy again, and, well, he froze.  He turned around to look at them, wincing as he found them still staring at him, and turned back forward. He clenched his fists. He was going to do this.

He was pretty sure anyone walking by must’ve been questioning his sanity as he walked with very, very measured steps towards the shop.  Then he was next to mystery boy, who was still leaning down to look at the dancing figurines. 

“Hi,” Makoto tried. His voice cracked. 

Mystery boy looked up at him, then back down at the display.

“What is that,” the boy said, jabbing his finger against the glass. Makoto jumped a little.

“The miniatures? Sato-san makes them, they’re–” Mystery boy was shaking his head. 

“That,” he said again, pressing his finger even farther forward so that it bent a bit down. 

“The… you mean the ferris wheel?” Makoto asked. Mystery boy nodded. 

“It’s… well, it’s a ride, they have them at fairs sometimes? You go up in the basket, and you spin around and get to see the view from up high, and…” Makoto rubbed the back of his neck, blushing. Mystery boy was staring at him, eyes unmoving. They were really, really blue. “Have you never seen one before?”

Mystery boy shook his head. “I don’t go out very much,” he mumbled.

“Sure seems like it,” Makoto answered, allowing himself a little laugh. He wasn’t making a total fool of himself, which meant this was going a lot better than he had thought it would. “What’s your name, by the way?” he asked, a bit of bravery entering him for a moment. Mystery boy stood up to look at him eye-to-eye.

“Haruka,” he said.

“Just Haruka?” Makoto asked, knitting his eyebrows together. Myst–Haruka–nodded.

“I’m Tachibana Makoto,” Makoto answered, bowing. 

“Okay,” Haruka said, then bowed back after a moment as if only just remembering to. Haruka looked up at the sky, which was fading from light blue to soft pink and purple with the setting sun. His hair fell away from his face to behind his ears. “I should go,” he said, tilting his head back down. He lifted his hand, fingers still curled just the slightest bit, and started walking down the street, turning left a few shops later toward the beach. Makoto didn’t take his eyes off him once until he was gone.

~ ~ ~

“How was crazy boy?” Kou asked when Makoto met up with her and Nagisa again.

“Crazy,” Makoto answered, grinning.

~ ~ ~

Makoto started coming to the strip of shops by the beach more often. He’d always gone when Kou needed someone to come with her, or when he was shopping for presents for his family, but now he spent his free time there as well, hoping. Something about Haruka caught his interest–something about the boy who seemed to know so little about the world yet was still so collected and calm.

Makoto came in the afternoon for seven days. He was about ready to give up, telling himself he’d see Haruka again if he was meant to. Then, exactly one week from when he’d first seen him, Makoto didn’t find Haruka–Haruka found him. 

He had been wandering aimlessly down the boulevard, observing passers-by and the rolling clouds, when a voice had come from behind him.

“Makoto, right?” Makoto jumped, whirling around to find Haruka, still as ever, and wearing another awful combination of bright beach shorts and a shirt that looked too small for him.

“H-Haruka,” Makoto answered, testing the name on his tongue. It still felt a bit strange, all alone like that.

“Call me Haru,” he said.

“Ah, Haru,” Makoto tried again. It… wasn’t all that strange to say. Haru.

“Help me with something,” Haru said. He grabbed Makoto’s wrist and tugged him down the street, Makoto following a few steps behind. Pulling to a stop in front of the grocer’s, Haru let go of Makoto to point at the apples. Makoto’s wrist still tingled where Haru’s hand had just let go.

“What are those,” Haru said, still pointing at the apples. Makoto had to resist the urge to laugh. This guy was really strange.

“Apples?” Haru nodded. “They’re… food. Here, I’ll buy you one.”

Makoto went to the salesperson and got two, handing one to Haru, who turned it over in his hand as if figuring out how to make it work.

Makoto grinned and took a bite out of his, smiling even wider when Haru picked up his own and scraped off the tiniest piece with his teeth. He let it sit on his tongue for a while before wrinkling up his nose, and–Makoto would call it _delicately_ –spitting the piece out.

“Too sweet,” Haru said. He handed the apple back to Makoto. 

“Fair enough,” he said, then paused. “What do you eat, then? If not apples.”

“Fish,” Haru answered. 

“That’s… that’s it?”

“Seaweed, sometimes.” 

Makoto shook his head. He could not possibly be more confused by this boy. Unfortunately for him, though, he seemed to only grow more intrigued by Haru’s obliviousness.

“Do they not have apples where you’re from?” he asked. 

Haru shook his head, and Makoto raised an eyebrow.

“You’re... strange,” Makoto said. Haru just stared at him with the same unreadable expression, then looked away. 

“N-not in a bad way, though,” Makoto added quickly, “I don’t really mind or anything.” He might’ve imagined it, but he swore Haru relaxed when he said so.

“Walk with me,” Haru said, and Makoto knew Haru had meant it to be a question even though it came out sounding more like a statement. He grinned to himself as Haru led him along the paved road toward the beach. 

He tried asking Haru about his life, where he was from, where he went to school, but Haru avoided his questions with grunts or turns of his head. Makoto might’ve been offended if not for the look on Haru’s face that made him feel like perhaps he shouldn’t be asking.

So instead, Makoto talked. He told Haru about himself, not entirely sure whether he was listening or not. He figured, if anything, it would make Haru more comfortable with him. And, if nothing else, at least Haru was sticking around.

Makoto didn’t see the time pass–it seemed like it had been only an hour by the time he looked up and the sun had set. He stared out at the hills in the distance, where the sky was mixing into a dark purple to get ready for the stars.

“It’s getting late,” he said, matter-of-fact.

“Don’t go,” Haru said. Makoto looked up in surprise. They were the first words Haru had uttered since they’d started walking. Haru was knitting his eyebrows together just enough to make a small crease, barely noticeable. Makoto smiled at him.

“I’ll be back,” he said, “I promise.”

~ ~ ~

He walked home that night knowing he must be starting another section of his life.

~ ~ ~

The next week, Haru was there again, as he was the week after that. Every Thursday, Makoto would go down to the shops, and Haruka would be there, sometimes waiting, sometimes at some other shop, admiring everything on display. They settled into a rhythm, the two of them, and it was quietly understood that they enjoyed each other’s company despite the fact that neither of them said it out loud.

Makoto never really understood Haru–it seemed like this guy had never even left the house, somehow managing to live off fish and seaweed alone and without exposure to anything powered by electricity at all. Maybe his parents were hyper-conscious of the negative effects of electronic devices, or something. Maybe they were hermits and Haru escaped every Thursday to explore the real world. He never asked; he figured Haru would tell him if he wanted to. All he knew was that, when he was with Haru, his heart fluttered and his entire body grew warmer, and well, that was enough.

They’d start out on the shopping lane, Makoto talking about what was new in his life and Haru staring straight ahead. Makoto might think he wasn’t paying attention if it weren’t for the fact that he sometimes caught Haru quirking up his lips at Makoto’s jokes, or huffing out a breath whenever Makoto brought up Nagisa’s latest antics. Makoto would show Haru around more, and Haru would watch everything with the same expression–curious but guarded, like he was wary of the mechanical pencil Makoto was showing him.

Sometimes they’d end up on the beach, the two of them settling into comfortable silence as they watched the waves crash and break. Haru would get a faraway look in his eyes, and Makoto would watch him pull his legs closer to himself, resting his head between his knees.

And every Thursday night, Makoto would walk home like he was walking on air, and his mom would ask him why he was smiling so hard. He never gave her a straight answer.

~ ~ ~

On a Thursday a few months after they started meeting, Haru wasn't there. It was raining, so Makoto had to shield his eyes from the falling drops to search for him. There was hardly anyone out, though; the rain was coming down too strong. Makoto could easily tell Haru wasn't one of the few people ducking under their raincoats as they raced through the rain. 

He walked out to the beach, hoping to catch a glimpse of sand-covered clothes and raven hair, but it was even emptier than the streets were.

Makoto sighed and wandered over to their usual spot, plopping down on the sand and staring out at the sea. His raincoat was starting to soak through, but he didn’t really mind. The raindrops hitting the water made the ocean look even more tumultuous than usual.

That's when he saw it-a flash of bright blue out on the open water. 

Makoto stumbled to his feet. It looked like someone had gone swimming and was now caught in the storm–what if they needed help?

He squinted against the wind and droplets, looking for a difference in color against the dark grey ocean. There it was again-bright blue. It disappeared as quickly as it had popped up.

Makoto looked harder, straining his eyes. If only he had his glasses with him.

Then he saw it-a chest, outlined against the melting waves. Its owner seemed to be looking straight at Makoto through a shock of black hair. Makoto stared back, the body unmoving out in the waves.

Then it disappeared, the bright blue flash back for only a moment before being lost in the ocean.

~ ~ ~

"Kou?" Makoto asked the next day when the two of them and Nagisa were working on their homework together. "You do know Haru too, right?"

"Yeah," she said. She sounded puzzled. Makoto didn't lift his head up from his math worksheet to check.

"And, he-he has... legs?"

"Yeah, he does–Makoto, are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it," he replied. He tried to go back to his work, but couldn’t quite focus enough to do so.

~ ~ ~

Next Thursday brought sunny skies, and Haru came back with them. Haru didn't mention the past Thursday, and neither did Makoto; but the image of the figure that looked all too familiar stark against the waves was burned onto the back of Makoto’s mind. Makoto kept looking at Haru out of the corner of his eye as if he would catch him doing something suspicious. Most of the time, though, Haru was just staring straight ahead. 

And so it went for the next few weeks, no different from how it had been before, until one seemingly normal Thursday in late October.

The day was cloudy, a dark grey sky making it seem more like it was nightfall than afternoon. Haru kept looking up at the sky, flicking his eyes up and down while blinking as if hoping to avoid Makoto noticing him. He did it so often, however, that it became hard for Makoto to miss.

“It might rain later,” Makoto said, “We could… we could go to my house, if you want. At least there we won’t get wet.” Haru simply nodded. Makoto smiled at him as he mentally checked to make sure no one was home. He breathed a little sigh of relief when he remembered that the twins had rehearsal for the school play, where his mom would be, and his dad was at work until later. 

The two of them walked in silence, which did absolutely nothing for Makoto’s nerves. The butterflies grew with every step they took, a foot closer to his home with each movement. Would Haru be comfortable there? Would he fidget and glance around nervously the whole time? What would he think of Makoto’s room?

Makoto grew even warmer at the thought. They weren’t quite there yet; not even close.

They were standing at his front door before Makoto was ready for it. Makoto’s hand trembled as he tried to unlock the door. It took three tries for him to fit the key in. Haru didn’t seem to notice, or at least he pretended not to. 

Finally, Makoto managed to push in the door. Haru stared wide-eyed at the inside of his house.

“Welcome home,” Makoto said, but Haru seemed too busy taking in his surroundings to listen to him. 

He wandered in in front of Makoto, turning his head in soft motions whenever he noticed something new he found interesting. Outside, the rain started drumming against the roof, only a soft pitter-patter. 

“I’ll make tea,” Makoto said, walking over to the kitchen. Haru wandered over after him a few moments later. The sprinkle of drops grew louder until the whole house was creaking and groaning with the sound of the rain.

Makoto cranked on the stove, waiting a few seconds for it to light. As soon as the bright blue-orange flame appeared, he went to find the kettle, hurrying so as to not waste gas. It had to be in there somewhere, he’d used it just the day before… There, behind the nested pots. 

Makoto turned around, ready to fill the kettle with water, only to find Haru in front of the stove reaching out toward the fire.

“No, Haru, you can’t–” Haru’s hand recoiled in one swift motion, and he grabbed his fingers with his other hand. Makoto rushed over and held Haru's arm, tugging him over to the sink.

“Here, this’ll help,” he said, turning on the tap and letting the cold water pour over Haru’s fingers. Haru jerked his hand back as if it had been the water that burned him instead of the fire. 

“I… I’ve got to go,” he said. A look of panic had crossed his eyes. “I’ve got to go.”

Then he was dashing away from Makoto, and Makoto could hear the thump-thump-thump of feet against the stairs, then a slamming door. 

Makoto followed, making his way up the stairs one step at a time, coming to a stop in the upper hallway.

“Haru? Are you okay?” he asked. A pained noise came from the other side of the bathroom door.

Makoto stared at the door for a moment. “I’m coming in,” he decided. Just as he heard Haru shouting “No– ” he pushed open the door.

The first thing he registered was Haru on the floor, curled up by the sink, staring at Makoto wide-eyed.

The second was a shock of bright blue, the same as before–connected to Haru's torso.

Makoto squeaked. He could feel his heartbeat spike like it was climbing a mountain. The blue wasn’t going away. He tried blinking, but the tail covered with shimmering scales still wouldn’t disappear. And it was… definitely attached to Haru.

“Haru,” he said, and Haru’s arms pulled his tail in closer to himself.

“Go away,” he whispered. The phrase held the most emotion Makoto had ever heard Haru put into his words. 

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Makoto said, moving closer. Haru, in turn, pushed himself against the wall behind him.

“Please, Haru,” Makoto begged. He took another step towards Haru. Instead of pushing himself farther back this time, Haru just curled in farther on himself, his forehead resting on his tail and allowing his hair to fan out over it.

“Are you okay?” Makoto asked, barely above a whisper. Haru nodded toward the floor. He seemed to be breathing easier now, though still a bit faster than usual. Makoto, on the other hand, was still very much panicking: attempting to process what was going on, failing, and trying to not let on to his disarray so as to make sure Haru didn’t get any more scared.

“So… how come you…” He gestured at the area beneath Haru’s torso. “Where did they go?” 

Haru looked up, his muscles relaxing a bit as he seemed to realize Makoto wasn’t afraid. “My dad was human,” Haru answered, flicking the end of his tail up and spraying a few drops of water to Makoto’s left. “Mom wasn’t.”

“So you mean… mermaids and humans can…” Makoto felt his entire body heat up uncomfortably, and he cleared his throat. “Never mind.”

Haru turned his gaze down again. “You aren’t… You aren’t weirded out or anything, right?” He wouldn’t meet Makoto’s eyes. Makoto smiled. 

“I could never be, Haru,” he answered, kneeling down to be at eye level with him. “To be honest, there was something a bit off about you from the start. I like that about you, though.”

By then he was nearly face-to-face with Haru, and he could quite literally feel the air get sucked away as Haru drew in a breath. He searched Haru’s eyes for a while. They were just as blue as they had been before, but the light reflecting in them made them his eyes brighter than ever.

Haru coughed, and looked away, and Makoto did the same, trying to will himself to calm down. He’d only just noticed his heart had started beating like that of a butterfly again. 

“So, uh,” he went on, “Mermaids are real, huh?” He gave Haru a halfway grin, and Haru smiled back, just a little. “When will,” Makoto started, trying not to look too uncomfortable, “When will it turn back?”

“When I’m dry again,” Haru said. Right as he finished speaking, his scales began to waver, and they faded away into Haru’s legs once again, blue scales turning beige. Makoto was grateful to see that Haru’s shorts hadn’t vanished when he’d lost his legs. 

Once there was no trace of blue left, Haru stood up, Makoto pushing himself off the ground as well.

“I should go,” Haru said, the words leaving his mouth slowly, as if he didn’t want to say them. “I’ll see you again.” Makoto thought he sounded unsure.

“You will,” Makoto answered. Haru smiled again, just the tiniest bit. 

And though Makoto knew that nothing would be the same, he couldn’t help but feel his heart jump for what was yet to come. 

~ ~ ~

The next time Makoto came out to see Haru, he brought clothes with him. Haru looked at Makoto like he was showing him another new invention, something fantastic and wonderful that he’d never seen before. Makoto had said it was just clothes, but Haru had shaken his head and thanked him quietly. It made all the effort Makoto had put into finding clothes that would fit worth it a million times over. Seeing Haru in his shirts and pants, both of which were still too big for him despite Makoto’s efforts and therefore hung loosely around his thin frame, made Makoto blush ten shades brighter than usual.

When Makoto showed him a pair of shoes he had brought for him, Haru had no idea what to do with them. He held one of them up by both laces, bringing it to eye level and asking how to make them work. Makoto had to tie them for him.

Nothing really changed–sure, now Makoto understood why Haru didn't recognize half of the items in the shops, and Haru seemed more relaxed with Makoto than he had been before, but they still spent most their time quietly enjoying each other’s company, nothing more, nothing less.

It was a while before Haru started to open up to Makoto, but Makoto listened to every word when he did. Haru told him about his life, about how his father had moved inland and hardly ever bothered to make the trip out to meet him, and how his mother was rarely home since she’d found that the best schools of fish lived farther down the coast. How his home was far from anyone else’s, and how he found himself alone most days. How he started coming on shore one day after his mother had been gone for a week without a word, after he hadn’t been able to stand the empty ocean any longer. How his tail had disappeared when he’d dragged himself on shore, and he’d wobbled around for the first time, falling every few steps. How he’d come as often as he could since then.

And Makoto listened, and held Haru’s hand when he struggled with his words, and squeezed it when Haru’s voice broke. And Haru didn’t thank him, only gripped Makoto's hand tighter, but it was enough for Makoto to understand.

“I don’t want you to leave," Haru said one day when the two of them were sitting at their spot on the beach. The wind was especially strong that day, and it made Haru’s hair fly around in ecstatic motions. Makoto had to resist the urge to push it back into place every time it did.

Makoto turned to Haru to find him avoiding Makoto's gaze. He smiled at him anyway.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he promised. _I’m not like them_  went unsaid.

~ ~ ~

_I’m in love with a mermaid_ , Makoto realized that night when he was walking home after parting with Haru. His heart clenched as the words entered his mind, and he laughed to himself under the stars.

~ ~ ~

Makoto couldn’t sleep the next Wednesday’s night.

He knew that nothing would be different–Haru would still be Haru, they’d still do no more than quietly enjoy each other’s company no matter whether Makoto had realized how he felt. Makoto kept turning his thoughts over in his head, though, until they grew so loud he had to get up and out of bed to get away.

He grabbed his coat, making as little noise as possible–the twins were right down the hall, and though his parents were likely asleep, Makoto didn’t want to risk it. He crept down the each stair after having tested it for noise, leaning most of his weight on the railing to avoid the creaking his house was notorious for.

Going outside and breathing in the fresh air did wonders to clear his head. He knew it must be two, maybe three in the morning, and he had school the next day. He wasn’t going to sleep anyways, though, and the night really was beautiful: there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the stars were splattered out onto the blackened sky. Makoto could see his breath puff in front of himself when he breathed out.

Instead of dwelling any longer, Makoto shoved his hands in his coat pocket and started making his way down the stairs, no destination in mind, only ready to walk.

He wasn’t all that surprised when he found himself wandering down the lane to the strip of shops by the beach. The entire row was quiet, lights off, shutters closed. Makoto stopped at the vitrine with the little figurines on the ferris wheel where he had first met Haru. The set was immobile and darkened, no electricity on to allow the figures to move. He stared at it for a few moments before sighing and moving along. 

The sound of the breaking surf over the row of shops drew him to the sea. The beach was empty save for one lone figure hunched over itself as it looked out at the waves, which crashed black and shining under the moonlight. The hoodie the person was wearing looked like Makoto’s own black one, he realized. The one he had lent out just a week ago.

“Haru?” he asked, trying very hard not to get his hopes up, and failing. 

The figure turned around, and even with only the light of the stars, Makoto's eyes managed to catch on to Haru’s blue ones.

“Makoto.” It was all Haru said, yet it sent a spiral of butterflies into Makoto’s chest. Was this what it was like to be in love? 

“Haru,” he said again, “What–what are you doing here?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” Haru said, and Makoto wanted to laugh. The universe had a funny way with things. 

Makoto walked over next to Haru and sat down, leaving a few inches between them even though he had suddenly found himself desperately wanting to hold Haru. He could feel the warmth radiating between them even as he stared out to the ocean.

Then he felt the warmth grow nearer until he felt a soft weight press on his shoulder andagainst his side. Haru’s hair fell onto him and tickled his neck. Makoto blushed all the way down to his toes. He hoped Haru couldn’t feel his breath speeding up. 

“Haru, why are you here?” Makoto asked. He still couldn’t look at Haru, choosing instead to fix his gaze out on the sea.

Haru didn’t answer for a while, letting the soft rumble of the waves fill the silence. 

Makoto thought he would never get an answer, until he heard a soft, “For you.”

Makoto felt like the butterflies he’d been nursing had erupted into a flock that spread throughout his body all the way into the tips of his fingertips. 

“You-you can’t just _say that_ ,” he said, but it sounded more fond than exasperated even to himself.

“It’s true,” was all Haru answered.

They were quiet again. Only the ocean filled the silence. Makoto felt like he could catch on fire at any moment and Haru seemed cool as the water below. Makoto turned to look at Haru only to find Haru turning to look at him.

Before he knew exactly what was happening, Haru was pressing his lips to Makoto’s, parting them with his own. They were really soft, Makoto realized. He tasted like salt.

Makoto wasn’t sure who pulled away first. He sat a bit dazed for a moment, looking at Haru through his opening eyes he hadn’t even realized he had closed, until he registered what had happened.

“Wh–Haru–what–” He knew words, but he couldn’t connect the phrases.

“That’s what humans do when they like someone, right?” Haru was as unperturbed as Makoto was startled.

“W-well,” Makoto said, “Yeah, when they, well they, uh, well it’s more like a… a like-like thing, if you know what I mean, like when you wanna, uh,” he gulped, “bewithsomeoneorsomething.”

“Yes,” Haruka answered, expression the same as before. Makoto searched his eyes for anything less than honesty, but Haru was an open book.

“Alright,” Makoto said, nodding, “Yeah, alright.” 

So he kissed Haru back.

 

 


End file.
